Hogs hire Da Prato to coach special teams

Daniel Da Prato (left) talks with Montana State head coach Rob Ash during a 2015 game.

FAYETTEVILLE  The University of Arkansas football program has added Daniel Da Prato to be its off-field special teams coordinator.

The hiring was announced on social media on Saturday. Da Prato, a native of Sacramento, Calif., had been working at the University of Colorado as director of quality control for offense for the last three years.

Da Prato, 36, played quarterback at Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico Highlands University and Chabot (Calif.) Junior College. Da Prato has also served as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator at Montana State, receivers coach at Sacramento State and as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator at Louisiana-Monroe.

Da Prato fills the position previously held by Tanner Burns, who left in December after five years with the Razorbacks to become special teams coordinator at Liberty University for Coach Hugh Freeze. Burns is the son of former Arkansas player and assistant coach Keith Burns.

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Tom Murphy

Tom Murphy is a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of Louisiana Tech University, he is a member of the Football Writers Association of America, and voter for the Heisman Trophy and AP Top 25 football poll. Murphy was the 2017 Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year.